Method of and apparatus for grouting the walls of an oil well



July 1o, 1928.

J. O. LEWIS METHOD 0F AND APIYARATUS FOR GROUTING THE WALLS OF AN OILiWELL Filed oct. 2o

ATTORNEYS.

July 1o, 192s. 11,676,785

J-i O. LEWIS METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR GROUTING THE WALLS OF AN OIL WELL Filed oct. 2o, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 2 [l l lrllrrrfffl/ll Patented duly 1d, i192.

mrs sans' m1,. 0. LEWIS, OF TULSA, aus.

raar? rrr@ METOD 0F AND APEABATUS EUR GROUTING vIEEE WALLS 0F AN @EL WELL Application :tiled october 20, 1924. `Serial No. 744,608.

My invention relates to 'an apparatus and method of grouting the walls of an oil well., l It is the object of my invention to provide both a method and an apparatus for practicing Vthe method of grouting or otherwise treating the walls of an oil well with cement or similar material to prevent the walls from caving in. ln particular itis'A my object to provide a method and apparatus for spraying the walls with liquid cement by means of Huid pressure.

It is an additional object of my invention to practice a method and provide an apparatus which'will permit of the accurate reinforcing of the walls of the well with a uniform-coating at a predetermined location in such a way as not to stop up the well .or encumber in any way the well pit.

In drilling and producingoil wells large expense, loss of time and labor are caused by the caving in of the rock walls of the hole. Heretofore the expensive and tedious practice of removing the material in the well which had Acaved in until the caving had ceasedgor was reduced to the extent that drilling or pumping could be continued has been followed. 0r the method was followed of shutting olf the' caving material -by lining Such methods are very expensive-and are not altogether successful.

It is my object to overcome and eliminate such diculties by providing means for spraying, under considerable pressure a hlmv of quick-setting cement over the caving surface thus forming a rigid shell of cheap material which is thoroughly incorporated with the Walls which are caving to prevent any further trouble. It is my object also to provide means for plugging the lower end of.

Figure 2 is a'simila'butenlarged viewishowing the cementing apparatus `in. position just starting toapply the coat of cement with the plug in posi'tlon.

Figure 3 is a similarjview illustrating the apparatus used in the lupper end of the well y ing the pressure on the line..

\ such as the bailer and the like for supporting tion showing the cementing apparatus in position just prior to applying the cement coating to the interior of the welL lteferring to the drawings in detail:

1 designates the upper crust of the earth about the top of the well. 2 designates the rock cavity, 3 the well hole below the cavity and 4 t-hewell pit inthe oil-bearing sand. 5 designates the well casing in which is suspended the compressed air pipe 6. This f pipe is provided with acollar Z at its upper end beneath which fits the elevator collar 8 carrying the bail 9 which in turn is suspended by the' cable 10. 'lhe upper end of the collar 7 is provided with a plug 11 having a stufngbox 12 through which passes the cable 13 suspended over the` pulley la,

lfeed pipe 16 which isthreaded in the collar the walls of the hole with/pipe or casing. 7

A gauge 17 may be provided for indicatlln practice, first lower the umbrella plu through the pipe 6 until it passes throug the pipe, whereupon theA arms 18 of the umbrella which have the points '19 expand so that the points rest against the wall of the Well. -A head 20 is. provided for the urnbrella which carries a fabric covering 21 on the ribs or arms 18. 4Vlhen the umbrellal has so expanded it cannot be withdrawn into the pipe so that by pulling upwardly on the wire 13 the connection with the umy brella can be broken at for instance, 22 which is a weak point in the suspending line. This allows the umbrella to drop down through' the rock cavity to the' relatively narrow ,throat 3 where it is held by .the engagement of its. arms with thefw'all to prevent any cement in the subse lnentoeration from dropping down' into t e we -1 it.

0r 1 may use a wad of burlap or any ot er suitable means for plu ging the hole above the top of the oil san to prevent `cement from entering the well'pit.I

I then lower on the cable 13 a tubular member 23 which contains the cement. At the lower end of this tubular member is a pressure valve arranged as follows. A conical plug 24 is suspended on a helical spring" ment carrying casing 23. The spring pressure is such that 1t will not allow the valves to open and the cement to be released until the predetermined air pressure is applied behind the cement. The upper end of the casing 23 engages with the lower end of the casing 6 and forms a. relatively air-tight joint by the engagement of the shoulders 29 and 30. These shoulders may be arranged in any fashion as in Figure 2 or Figure 3. It is essential there shall be a relatively tight joint.

As' soon as the apparatus has bee-n lowered so that the lower end of the cement applying mechanism is in position, the compressed air is applied behind the cement which Jforces the valve head 24 open, compressing the spring 25 and applying a spray of cement under considerable air pressure against the walls of the rock cavity. The apparatus is radually elevated or lowered bythe ca le 10 through the bail 9 so that the entire cavity 55 may be uniformly treated.' When this is completed the umbrella'plug is pushed downwardly and dropped to the bottom of the well pit where it will not be injurious.

The result will be a smoothly coated interior of the rock cavity. The cement is of the uick-settin type and is thoroughly introuced into t e interstices of the rock due to the pressure. The irregularities of the rock hold the shell of cement in position and prevent any further caving.

It is apparent that this apparatus is adaptable notI onlyfor this speci c purpose but also for the lining of any cavity or bore of similar kind.

In practice, .only at a pressure in excess of fifty pounds or some similar predetermined amount. I do not desire` to confine myself, however, to any specific pressure. The cement can be introduced into the pipe either by pouring it into l the top or by dumping it inat-the bottom by a line as s means of a bailer or sand pump or other suitable device, but I refer to' lower it into the well b means of tlie bailer suspended on own in Figures 1, 2 and 3. When the gauge shows a large drop in pressure it indicates the cement has een ejected from the apparatus. -V By the practice of my invention it is possible to eliminate much of the lining by casing material I prefer that the valve open v now being done of oil wells, and to prevent material from caving off the walls of the hole into the well pocket.

It will be understood that 'I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses.

Havin thus fully described my invention what I c aim as new and desire to secure by ALetters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a method of grouting o-il wells, loweringa tubular member into the well,\lower ing a plug through said tubular member, permitting the plug to pass out of the tubular member and expand against the walls of' the well, detaching the lowering means from the plug, lowering a valved bail of grouting through the tube until the spraying end of the bail is exposed, scalinor the connection between the bail and the tube, a plying air in the tube to the material in t e bail, forcing open the valve inthe bottom of the bail and spraying the grouting material on the walls of the wells.

2. In a method of grouting oil wells, lowering a tubular member into the well, lowering a plug through said tubularj member, permitting the plug to pass. out ot' the tubu# lar vmember and expand against the walls ,ce i

the bail and spraying the grouting material on the walls of the well and moving the apparatus so as to uniformly coat the interior of the wellk in the locality desired.

3. In a method of grouting oil ering a tubular member into the well, lowering a permitting the plug to pass out of the tubulai` member and expand against the walls of the well, detaching the lowering means from the plug, lowering a bailv of grouting ma` terial through the tube until the spraying end of the bail is exposed, sealing the connection between the bail and the tube, applying air in the tube to the material in the bail forcing open the valve in the bottom of the b spraying the grouting material on the walls of the well and moving the apparatus so as coat the interior of the well in' desired, and pushing 'the plug 1 to uniformly the localityplugthrough s'aidtubular member,

y los wells, lowail and into the well pit after the cementing operav ber being opened and the upperend sealed;

means to su ort said tubu r member in dilerent positlons in the well, a lowering termes cable passing through said tubular member and means to provide an air tight stung box at the top of the tubular member to accommodate the passage of the lowering cable, a bail for containing coating material,

a pressure valve at the bottom thereof adapted to support the material in the bail which is lowered by the lowering cable within the tubular member until air pressure behind the material in the bail achieves the prede- 10 terminedV point for opening the valve and discharging the material, and means for joining the upper end of the bail with the tubular member te prevent the escape of air..

in testimony whereof, l ax my slgnature.

f JAS 0. LEWES. 

